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Since the second Chechen war in early 2000s, there has been a struggle between Russia’s security forces and the Islamic insurgents in the Russian Caucasus. In 2015, local rebels who form the so-called Caucasus Emirate, pledged allegiance to ISIS and this struggle intensified again. Russian republic of Dagestan has been on the frontline of this struggle for more than a decade.
But while the decline of the terrorist threat in Dagestan is beneficial both for Russian state and for the local population, law enforcement authorities are taking excessive measures against the Muslims in Dagestan in order to report success in fighting terrorism to Moscow. They practice illegal arrests, dactyloscopy and travel bans, extrajudicial executions, abductions and torture. They also plant arms and explosives on innocent people. Police has also compiled a so-called “index of radicals” that includes people attending what authorities consider a “radical” mosque, people having radicalised acquaintances and relatives, and even people wearing a beard.
Human rights organizations, such as Memorial and Amnesty International, reported 16 abduction cases only in 2016. They stress that this is only a tip of an iceberg, as people are afraid to seek help and make such cases public, fearing government repercussions. According to recent surveys, the large part of Russian society supports any measures that would work to fight terrorism, while widely ignoring the possible impact that it can have on local communities in predominantly Muslim regions of Russia.
As a result, any law abiding citizen, a practicing Muslim, can disappear without a trace at any time in Dagestan. According to Human Rights Watch, such climate of lawlessness and impunity for abuses actually only adds popularity to radical recruiters in the region.
Through the example of victims in Dagestan we want to gather proof that fight against terrorism in Russia is often accompanied by repressive measures towards ordinary citizens.